Lakeland Regional Cancer Center Offers New Breast Cancer Technology
Tuesday, October 19 2010
The Women’s Imaging Center, an affiliation of Lakeland Regional Cancer Center (LRCC) and Radiology and Imaging Specialists (RIS), is pleased to offer our patients positron emission mammography (PEM), a groundbreaking technology in diagnosing and treating breast cancer.
For the first time in Central Florida, doctors have access to this higher resolution scanner, allowing physicians to see smaller lesions, in some cases as small as a grain of rice. PEM can be used to metabolically map specific characteristics of each patient’s cancer, enabling surgeons to operate with pinpoint accuracy.
“We are excited to provide Polk County with this amazing technology,” said Solange Pendas, MD, Surgical Oncologist, Breast Program Leader, LRCC. “The goal is to catch cancer at the earliest possible stage; and with PEM, we can do that because we are able to detect cancer tissue at just two millimeters in size.”
“PEM is a new technology approved for patients who have been diagnosed with breast cancer both for preoperative staging, postoperative follow-up and determining neoadjuvant chemotherapy response,” said Martha Lima, MD, Board Certified Radiologist, RIS. “The Women’s Imaging Center, affiliated with the Lakeland Regional Cancer Center, is currently the only facility offering this in our community, and we are one of the few that offer this service in the state of Florida. We are excited to once again be at the forefront of breast imaging and the detection of breast cancer.”
Unlike large PET systems that scan a person’s entire body, PEM is a special form of PET for imaging breasts and other small body parts. The PEM scanner isolates the affected body part and images that area. This produces a very sharp, detailed image of abnormal tissue, such as cancerous tumors. The images obtained with the PEM scanner show the location of suspicious masses, giving physicians a map upon which they can base treatment options and/or surgical plans. Knowing this information allows doctors to better determine candidates for breast-conserving surgery or lumpectomy. Also, identifying the exact location and extent of the cancer guides doctors during surgery and helps assure the removal of all suspicious tissue and, as a result, avoid repeat surgeries.
“PEM produces extremely accurate images, picking up microscopic disease,” continued Pendas. “This allows us begin treatment at much earlier stages, thus producing higher cure rates for our patients, which is always our main focus.”
In addition to treating women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer, PEM is also an alternative for women who cannot undergo breast MRI for reasons such as medical implants, claustrophobia or obesity. This technology is covered by insurance companies for only those women who have already been diagnosed with breast cancer.
For more information or to make an appointment with the Women’s Imaging Center, please call 863-688-2334.